The Noida Police have registered a Zero FIR against a woman accused of making abusive and objectionable remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over the alleged NEET paper leak. Since the alleged incident took place within the territorial jurisdiction of Delhi Police, the case has been transferred to the Parliament Street Police Station in New Delhi for investigation in accordance with the principles governing territorial jurisdiction under criminal law.
The FIR was registered at the Expressway Police Station in Noida on the complaint of Advocate Smriti Singh, a resident of Vasundhara in Ghaziabad. The complainant alleged that the accused, Ruchika Singh, who was initially believed to be a resident of Sector 168, Noida, used abusive and objectionable language against the Prime Minister during the protest held on July 23. During police verification, it was found that although the accused owns a flat in a residential society in Noida, she is presently residing in Uncha village of Faridabad, Haryana.
According to the complaint, the alleged remarks undermined the dignity of the constitutional office of the Prime Minister, were intended to spread hatred and ill-will, and had the potential to disturb public order, create social discord and disrupt communal harmony. The complainant further alleged that the statements were made in a public gathering and were capable of inciting public mischief.
Acting on the complaint, the police registered an FIR under Sections 352, 353(1) and 356(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which deal with intentional insult intended to provoke a breach of peace, statements conducive to public mischief and defamation, respectively. These provisions correspond to Sections 504, 505(1) and 499 read with Section 500 of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Noida, Manisha Singh, confirmed that the complaint had been registered as a Zero FIR. She stated that since the alleged offence occurred within the jurisdiction of Parliament Street Police Station in New Delhi, the case diary and other relevant records have been transferred to the Delhi Police for further investigation and appropriate legal action in accordance with law.
Police officials stated that the complainant approached the Noida Police because she believed the accused was residing in Sector 168, Noida. The complaint was reportedly supported by multiple videos circulating on social media, which allegedly showed the accused using abusive language against the Prime Minister. The complainant claimed that after verifying the accused’s identity and place of residence through publicly available information and other sources, she approached the police seeking registration of criminal proceedings.
A Zero FIR is a procedural mechanism that enables any police station to register information relating to a cognisable offence irrespective of territorial jurisdiction. The FIR is subsequently transferred to the police station having jurisdiction over the place where the alleged offence occurred, ensuring that the registration of a cognisable offence is not delayed on technical grounds relating to jurisdiction and that the investigation is undertaken by the competent investigating agency.
The alleged remarks were made during protests organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, including the NEET-UG examination. The demonstrations concluded on July 25 after drawing participation from thousands of students and activists. The protests also witnessed support from social activist Sonam Wangchuk during his hunger strike and culminated in the Union Government announcing a series of education reforms aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability in the conduct of competitive examinations.
The registration of the Zero FIR comes amid multiple police actions arising out of the protests. Earlier, the Delhi Police had written to social media platform X seeking the removal of videos and posts allegedly containing derogatory remarks against the Prime Minister and other constitutional functionaries made during the demonstrations. The Parliament Street Police Station will now examine the allegations, collect evidence, including electronic and digital material, and proceed with the investigation in accordance with the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and other applicable legal provisions.
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